Sweet Teeth
by JERUSALEM's Bride
Summary: Just a bunch of sugar related one-shots about anyone and everything. I hope to upload every week, but no promises. This week: Give Me Cookies Or Give Me Death! Leo-centric. Pre-TLH. Enjoy!
1. Two Weeks and a Butt-Load of Chocolate

**Hey hey! I've been looking around the PJ ff site and I can't help but notice. Everybody's doing these "While Percy was at Camp Jupiter" stories. Y'know, how Annabeth is coping, and the new trio is fearing meeting him. Stuff like that. So I would like to clarify: _ This is not one of those stories._ **

**No way do I have the guts to attempt something like that. LAWL. I'll leave that to the master, All hail the great Rick Riorden. Bow down to him!**

**No, while it may be about Annabeth coping with Percy missing, it does not take place in between TLH and SoN. It happens in TBotL while Percy was on Calypso's island. Cuz I always wondered how she felt about that. Were it me, I would have dealt with it something like this. Heh heh.**

**Two Weeks and a Butt-Load of Chocolate**

**~By LFG**

Afterwords, Annabeth was pretty sure she had never eaten so much chocolate in such a short period of time. After just a week she had felt bloated and grumpy. Like she was PMSing, only it was chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

She got most of her stash from the twins. Conner and Travis could get just about anything into camp. They ran a kind of black market from their bunks in Cabin 11 and were plenty willing to sell Annabeth ridiculous amounts of chocolate at "discount price" as they called it. Total bullshit. Travis upped the price by two drachmas and Conner by three. But she still bought it.

Chocolate was good comfort food.

Silena was nice enough to give Annabeth a box of chocolate her father had sent. Annabeth had smiled and told Silena that she was a good person. Silena laughed and skipped off, blathering things about love and how cute it was. Annabeth decided to ignore that.

Clarisse, in passing, tossed her a Hershey bar. She told Annabeth that she missed her favorite punching bag. Annabeth agreed.

Charles Beckendorf gave her a pack of hot cocoa while he was fixing her armor. Told her it tasted best with marshmallows. Annabeth thanked him and Charles nodded, not meeting her eyes. On a whim, she asked how things were going with Silena. He blushed a little (Annabeth was sure of it) and said they were going alright. Doing alright. They were fine. He blushed harder and Annabeth laughed.

_Gods_, even with all these wonderful, awesome people around her she was still so depressed. Annabeth needed her Seaweed Brain. She needed the idiot she could count on to always screw up and fix up. She needed to see that look he got on his face when he was about to do something crazy. Which was almost always. She needed his stubborn obsession with blue food. She needed his short attention span and his constant movement. Because he was what kept her grounded. Annabeth wasn't sure exactly when he had become so centric to her life, but he was. And she didn't want that to change now. She didn't want to have to give up _another_ important anchor in her life. Maybe she was just being selfish, but that was how it was. Yes, Annabeth needed Percy Jackson around.

Only he wasn't around. Not anymore. And it was killing her.

She had no idea that being away from Seaweed Brain would affect her like this. Sure, Annabeth had been separated from him for entire school years before, but then, at least she knew he was okay. Well, not okay, what with monsters and stuff. But she knew he was alive, for the most part, and _not dead._

When Mt. Helen had blown Annabeth was already in the Labyrinth. She had felt the explosion, but kept running. She wished she hadn't. Maybe if she'd turned back she would've found Percy. He would still be alive. They would be together, like it should be, and she wouldn't be sitting there eating enough chocolate to kill a centaur. (No offense, Chiron.) But instead Annabeth had kept on running, like a coward. She hadn't even cried, because at that time she was sure that Percy would be alright. She couldn't imagine him not alright. Annabeth would go back to camp and Percy would be there, laughing, smiling, shining, asking her what took so long. She would punch in and call him names, but she would be smiling to. Then Percy would regale them all with the tale of how he had cleverly thwarted the Telekhines and escaped before the forge was blown sky high.

But none of that happened.

No, Percy was gone, dead, and everyone knew it. After all, no one could have survived _that._ Not even a son of the Sea God. Even Annabeth was beginning to think the same, though she would never admit it. Percy Jackson, _her_ Percy Jackson, was dead. He had been blown into a billionzilliongajillion pieces when Mt. Helen went BOOM.

They had waited, of course. But after a week and a half everyone gave up. There were lots of tears and stuff. Work was started on the burial shrouds. Annabeth plowed through chocolate. Most of the campers moved on. They went about their daily routines almost like nothing had happened. Not her, though. Annabeth couldn't seen to move on. Whenever she tried, she found herself eating chocolate.

The day of the Burning everyone was very sober. Percy's shroud was saved for last. Annabeth carried it up to the fire. With each step it got harder to see, harder to move. Then she was there dropping the cloth into the fire and talking, though she wasn't quite sure what she was saying. She looked up. And there he was.

Suddenly Annabeth didn't want to see another piece of chocolate ever again.

~End!~

**Wow. That was short. I'm kind of ashamed at how short it is. But that's all that I had for this one-shot. I did enjoy writing it though.**

**Hope you liked reading it! Pretty please review. It you do I will love you for ever and ever.**

**Ciao! **

**p.s.**

**OMG MARK OF ATHENA COMES OUT TOMORROW I'M SO ASDFGHJKL EXCITED! *FANGIRL SQUEEL***


	2. Give Me Cookies Or Give Me Death!

**I know I _just_ posted the first one-shot, but I wanna post this one tooooooooooo... *whine whine* Anyways, read, review, blah blah blah.**

**Give Me Cookies Or Give Me Death!**

**~By LFG**

When Leo woke up it was still mostly dark outside. The sun was creeping up over the world and all that poetic crap. He rubbed his eyes and groaned. Another day where he didn't want to be.

"So not up for this." Leo mumbled.

Maybe, he hoped, no one else was up yet and he could just sneak out. Today could be the day he left again. Leo decided to go downstairs and make sure no one was out of their beds. It would be kinda more than awkward if he had to walk past one of the foster parents carrying a duffel bag fulla cloths and junk. For one, he would probably get yelled at.

So Leo tiptoed down the stairs in his socks, wincing every time one of the floor boards would creak. Halfway down he looked over the banister and into the living room. No one there, all good. Then he heard a click and Leo's heart stopped. Light shone out from behind the master bedroom door. He fought the urge to flee back to his own room and waited with bated breath. The flush of a toilet, the click of a switch. Lights out and Leo could breath again.

He finished creeping down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. Hopefully he could snag a few snacks to stuff in that duffel bag.

When Leo walked around the corner he froze _again_. More damned light was coming from the cooking area. Leo could already tell that today was _not_ going to be one of his days. Then again, he could barely remember the last time a day had gone right for him.

The sound of something hitting the tiled floor jarred Leo out of his daydreaming and back into the present. Someone swore softly and he couldn't help but agree with their statement. 'Shit' was right.

Turning around, Leo desperately tried tiptoeing back to the stairs.

"Leo!"

Shit. Shitshitshitshit.

"Leo, is that you?"

He swiveled to face the speaker who was poking their head out the kitchen doorway.

"Noooo...?"

Said person giggled and Leo realized it was just Tracy. He relaxed a little. "Get in here, you idiot." she said in a hushed tone.

He reluctantly followed her back into the kitchen and glanced around. There was a pan on the floor, he guessed that was the clatter he had heard. The walls were splattered with a brownish, goopy substance that dripped slowly. Leo swallowed thickly and tried not to barf. The sink was cluttered with tons of dirty dishes that were dripping with the same brown goopy stuff. Tracy was looking at him expectantly.

"Ohhhkay." Leo said. "I'm afraid to ask, but: What are you _doing_?"

Tracy rolled her eyes. "I'm making cookies, stupid."

"Right. I totally should have known that." he nodded.

"What's that supposed to mean...?"

"I so did not think you were trying to create a new life form." Leo said while trying to keep a strait face.

Tracy dipped her hand into a random bowl and scooped out a huge glob, "Jerk!" she wailed and flung it at him. Leo stepped to the side and watched as it passed him in slow motion. _Shplat_. It landed on the wall behind him and slowly crept down towards the floor.

Both teens looked at it silently. Finally Leo spoke: "So... uhh. Was that supposed to happen?"

"Nooo. No, it was not."

Leo squinted at it. "I think it's trying to escape..."

Tracy clutched her other life form covered hands to her head. "Arrg! I just wanted to make cookies! Why does this always happen to me?!"

Leo sighed. "Okay, look. We should get this cleaned up before your parents wake up. You get a wash cloth and some warm water and start cleaning off the walls. I'll do the dishes. We got this."

"Will you help me make more cookies?" Tracy asked.

"Do I get some?"

She shook her head. "No. They're for my poetry class. We're having a party."

"Aha! So that's why you're doing this at, like, four in the morning!"

"Yeah. I woke up about an hour ago and realized that I had promised Mrs. Means that I would bring cookies." Tracy explained as she filled a bowl with soapy water.

"And you want me to help 'cuz you can't bake worth shit. But I don't get any?" Leo complained. "That is so not fair!"

Tracy glared at him."FYI I can bake just fine, thank you very much."

"Uh huh. Tell that to Frankenblob over there." Leo pointed to a wobbling glob on the floor. "You might wanna clean him up, by the way. It looks like he's trying to crawl out the door."

Tracy scrambled to wipe the stuff up. "You named it Frankenblob?"

Leo shrugged. "Seemed appropriate. Now, stop changing the subject. If I'm gonna help you make those cookies I want compensation," he struck a heroic pose. "Give me cookies or give me death!"

"Yeah, whatever." Tracy turned to him, eyes sparkly. "But if I give you any I won't have enough for my class."

Leo put down the dirty whisk he had been attempting to wash. "You're class isn't that big." he sparkled his eyes back at her and whined. "I want some coooookies."

For several seconds they stared at each other. It was the Battle of the Puppy Eyes. Who would win? Who would prove stronger?

In the end it was Tracy who broke first. "All right!" she flung her arms up. "Fine. You win. You get cookies."

"YES!" Leo shouted and did a fist pump. "No one can resist Leo's Puppy Eyes of Doom! Victory dance!"

"No! Not that!" Tracy hastily covered her eyes. "Anything but the Victory Dance!"

"Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!" Leo twirled the half cleaned whisk in his hand and paraded around the kitchen. "Muwahahahaha!"

Tracy scowled. "Shut up and wash the dishes. Or you won't get cookies. _And_ I'll show everyone that picture."

Leo gasped and clutched the whisk to his chest dramatically. "You wouldn't!"

"Don't test me."

"Okay, okay. I'm washing."

Fifteen minutes later they had the kitchen looking at least decent. Leo was drying the last of the dishes and Tracy was putting them away.

"Okay," Leo said handing her the last spoon. "get me sea salt, vanilla, baking soda, and whole wheat unbleached flour. Oh and a bag of dark chocolate chips."

"Why do I have to get it?" Tracy whined.

"'Cuz I don't know where the stuff is. I do, however, know where you keep the sugar, eggs, peanut butter, and butter." Leo stated matter-of-factly.

She blushed. "Oh...right."

"What're you doing just standing there?! Get moving!"

"Okay! But why peanut butter?"

"'Cuz it tastes good." Leo grinned. "and PB keeps the cookies soft even a week later."

"Really?"

Leo popped out from behind the fridge door and triumphantly waved two eggs at her, "Yeah."

"Cool," Tracy said as she reached for the flour. She frantically grasped and managed to pull the bag forward. To far forward. It tipped. "No!" she cried. "Calvin!"

'Calvin' hit the floor with a _thud_. Thankfully it was held shut by a rubber band but Tracy still wailed her head off.

Leo turned from the cupboard where he was searching for brown sugar, "Calvin?"

She nodded with a sniffle, "Calvin was my flour bag baby. Y'know, for school."

"Riiight. And you criticize me for naming your new life form Frankenblob."

"Shut up," Tracy grumbled. "this is different. This's Calvin."

Leo tried not to grin and failed, "Frankenblob was Frankenblob."

"Arrg! I don't care!" she shoved Calvin at Leo. "There! There's you flour! Happy?"

"Yeah," Leo laughed. "I am happy."

Tracy looked surprised, "Really?"

Leo hummed some song she didn't know and pulled two sticks of butter from the fridge, "Yep."

"That's great," Tracy smiled and calmed down some.

He shoved the butter at her, "Get a big glass bowl and melt the butter in the microwave for about a minute on high."

"Why?"

"Makes it easier to mix. Don't question the Great Leo," he pulled open a big drawer and lifted out the mixer.

"Whatever, 'Great Leo'," Tracy finger quoted as she punched the buttons on the microwave. One minute.

"Hey! Don't make air quotes at me!" Leo shook the one of the whisks at her. "I am the Amazing Awesome Leo, Commander of all that is Epic!"

"I thought you were the Great Leo."

"Mine is an ever-changing title."

Tracy just shook her head and pulled the melted butter out, "Okay, _Commander_. What next?"

"Now we add 3/4 cup of white sugar and 3/4 of brown."

"Mr. Valdez!" Tracy gasped. "That sounds racist!"

Leo cracked up, "The eggs," he giggled. "The eggs."

Tracy laughed along, "Right," she handed the two eggs to Leo, who then cracked them into the bowl. "Now do we mix it?"

"No. First we add the vanilla."

"Oooo! Ooo! I wanna do that!"

"Okay," Leo agreed. "Just don't pour too much in."

Tracy twisted the cap off the small bottle and sniffed, "Wow, it smells really good."

Leo nodded, "Yeah, that's the vanilla. But don't drink any," he quickly added.

"Why not?"

"It's got alcohol in it. Tastes nasty."

"Leo Valdez!" Tracy gasped. "We are not putting alcohol in my cookies!"

"Whoawhoawhoa!" Leo intercepted Tracy on her way to the trashcan and grabbed the bottle from her. "Don't throw that away! Jeez."

"Give it!" she grasped at the out of reach vanilla. "Alcohol is bad!"

Leo sighed, "You really don't know anything about baking, do you?" he poured the "alcohol" into a teaspoon and said. "Once we bake the cookies the heat from the oven will make the alcohol in the vanilla evaporate. Dork."

"...oh."

He tossed Tracy the mixer and she almost dropped it before she fumbled her hand into the right position. Then her finger slipped and jacked the speed up to the top setting. Tracy shrieked, frantically tried to stop her wildly jerking arm and failing miserably. Leo attempted to get close to help her get it under control and nearly got drilled in the head with whisks. "Jesus Christ!" he barked. Finally, Leo got the brilliant idea of unplugging the damned thing. By this time Tracy was crouched against the counter, whimpering. She held the now still "mixer from hell" as far away from her body as possible. Leo gently pried it from her trembling fingers.

"Maybe I should do the mixing."

" 'kay."

Leo carefully plugged the mixer back in and flipped the speed up to two. "Let's do this thing." he drawled, "Gimme the salt and baking soda."

Tracy, still in shock, nodded numbly and passed him the requested items. Leo nudged her with his hip.

"Hey."

"Hmm..?"

"Snap outta it. It was just a murderous blender hell-bent on killing you."

"Riiight."

Leo dumped the salt and baking soda in the big bowl and glanced at Tracy. "Stop shaking."

"I'm not shaking."

"Yes you are." He grabbed her hand and shoved it in her face, "See?"

"Oh..." she said, "Guess I am."

"Dork." Leo said as he revved the mixer and stuck it in the bowl swirling the cookie dough, "Give me the flour and a measuring cup."

"Sure. Can... I measure the flour?"

"Don't see why not." Leo said then paused, "Wait. You're not still shaking are you?"

"No. I'm good."

He scrutinized Tracy's appendages and deemed them worthy. "Here, then."

"Great," Her grin was still a little shaky but Leo decided to ignore that.

"Alright, alright," Leo tried to clap his hands then remembered that he was holding the mixer. "Dish out two and a quarter cups of flour."

Tracy did so and spilled a cup of it all over the counter. "Err..."

Leo eyed the pile of flour and sighed. "Tracy."

"I'm sorry! I'm not the one to blame. It's the measuring cups fault! The thing is crap," she nodded, pleased with her excuse.

"Oh gawd." Leo started scooping the flour into the bowl. "Is this why you were banned from the kitchen?"

Tracy gasped, "Who told you that?! Did you read my diary?"

"What?! No!" Leo palmed his forehead, getting his bangs all white. "Your dad told me. Wait. You have a diary? I have to remember that." He wiggled his eyebrows evily.

Tracy took a step back and "eeped".

"Don't you dare, Leo!"

"Dare what?"

"You know what!"

"Read your diary?"

"Yes!"

"What about it?"

"Don't read it!"

"The diary?!

"Yes!"

"So I can read your diary?"

Tracy clutched her head, "goddamnit, Leo!"

"Don't worry," Leo laughed. "I didn't even know that you had a diary. But don't worry, I won't read it. S'probably filled with girly junk anyway."

"Yes," Tracy glared at him. "Yes it is."

Leo dumped the rest of the flour into the bowl and handed Tracy the mixer, "Think you can handle it?"

She snatched it away from him and snapped, "Yes."

Tracy shoved the mixer in the bowl and flicked it on. Leo winced, but aside from a little splattering it was fine. Once the dough was nicely mixed Leo added the chocolate chips and peanut butter.

"Okay," Leo grabbed a spoon. "Time to dish it out."

Thirty or so minutes later they had the cookies in the oven, the dishes washed, the flour wiped up and were sitting on the floor, leaned against the cabinets.

Leo glanced at the clock. "There's still, like, an hour before we have to get ready for school."

Tracy contemplated this. "Wanna make some waffles?"

"Let's do it."

**huieMyNameIsLineBreak!jdil**

Two weeks later Leo ran away. He left Tracy a big bag of homemade cookies and a _very_ specific recipe. Not long after he was sent to Wilderness School. Tracy never saw him again.

~End!~

**OHMIGAWDI'MDONE. Finalllllllllllly. Arg. This thing has been the bane of my existence. **

**Anyways, I'ma go to bed now. School in the morning and all that. You know the drill. Review if you love me.**

**Ciao!**


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